Blogger is better than twitter

Now it's in writing. Therefore it must be true. Take that Leila >;)

Go blogger!!!! :) xxxxx

This is Leila :) say hi, Leila!

She's a belieber. Shame on her :(

So, I got Wattpad!

So yeah, the title says it all. I got Wattpad! Yay!

Although I haven't written anything on it yet, and don't know whether I will. I do have a work-in-progress (WIP for those of you not in on the lingo. Don't worry, I wasn't until I started obsessively, I mean, religiously reading Joy Preble's blog) but I don't think I want to post it because A: I don't have a clear ending in mind yet and B: I know I would end up neglecting it and driving everyone nuts with the cliffhangers. Assuming anyone actually wanted to read it, of course ;) I like to think that they would.

Joined a creative writing club at school. It's really fun, have it tomorrow last period. Can't wait! Not writing the mysterious WIP there though. That's at home. When I'm not revising for chemistry tests we get told about 2 days in advance. Like today. >:(

If ONLY I could summon Anne to come help me with her amazing extensive clever chemistry knowledge. But since that could only happen in my dreams (which are so strange they're actually scary. Most of the time. A week ago I had a beautiful, blissful Dreaming Anastasia dream. But The other night I had a dream about moldy, rotting severed hands. Don't ask.) I guess I'm gonna have to hunker down and actually revise.

*whispers* Which I'm meant to be doing now.. Shhh!

Blogging break's over, so TTFN, ta ta for now! (Spontaneous Tigger moment)

p.s. My Wattpad username is the same as my blogger username, "ChihuahuaCharms." If any of you guys were wondering :)

The WORST Day at the Beach. EVER.

This post isn't about reading, crafting or baking, but I felt like a rant. Oh my God. Yesterday we had a geography trip to the beach. And if any of you saw the weather for the British coast, you'll instantly feel sorry for me. For all you guys that didn't, here's how it basically went down:

We got to beach numero uno to discover that there was literally NOTHING there but rocks. Nada. Zero. Zilch. All went well for about half an hour...

Then it started to rain. We all got wet.

However, the, quote, "passing shower", was fairly short-lived, and we soon crawled out of whatever cave we were sheltering in to trudge back to the main beach. Measuring pebbles. Fun, right?

After another 45 mins ish of dryness, it started raining again.

No, scratch that. Then it started absolutely chucking it down by the bucketful. We were SOAKED to the BONE!! It was really windy too, so umbrellas were more of a hindrance than a help.

Time to get back on the coach and go to beach number two. This beach was nice and sandy, but, surprise surprise, it rained yet again. No, it didn't. IT HAILED!!! The wind was blowing it around like tiny daggers piercing the backs of your legs. And all the shops and cafes were closed except one, which was apparently like 10 miles down the beach from the coach. No shelter :(

We had to hike like 5 miles down the sand before we could do the work and hike back the five miles to the coach. Again, dripping. I was literally wringing out my clothes.

Don't you just LOVE the english weather?

So I guess it's fairly safe to say that the most fun part of the trip was the coach journey. So thank you so much, Meg Cabot, for writing a book I have read over 6 times and still adore. I don't know what I would have done without Suze and Jesse to keep me company ;) Read it cover to cover on the way to and from our "fun day at the seaside."

I'm never going back. Ever. You'll have to kill me first.

So, what was your last trip to the beach like? I bet it can't get any worse than that. If it can, I'd like to hear it.

And They Lived as Happily As They Could - A Guest Post by Author Joy Preble

Hello, blog readers! Yes, I know. I haven't blogged in AGES. And no, I wasn't lying when I told you to expect something in a few days, the plans changed. I'm sorry :(

And I have been sooooooo busyyyyyyyyy lately! So much homework. It's ridiculous. Stupid GCSEs of impending doom.

My mind has been wandering to this all day long. Is it really sad that all I could think of in chemistry was that "Ethane" is one letter away from "Ethan"?

Yeah. But it's still my favourite compound ;)

But now I'm here so lets get to it! I am, once again, for the AF blog tour, welcoming my very favourite author Joy Preble (Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted, Anastasia Forever and The Sweet Dead Life, coming may 2013 from SOHO PRESS!) Today Joy is telling us about happily ever after, and why it is overrated (I totally agree. The gorier, the better. And people should pay for their mistakes.):

And They Lived as Happily as They Could:

Writing a Crazy Russian Novel Saga

Joy Preble

(Author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series, Sourcebooks: DREAMING ANASTASIA, 2009; HAUNTED, 2011; ANASTASIA FOREVER, 2012)

Russian fairy tales are not like the Disney ones. (Full disclosure: neither are the original Grimm’s Brothers tales. In the Grimm version of Cinderella, for example, those little birds peck out the stepsisters’ eyes on Cinderella’s wedding day. And to fit into that glass slipper? Those same crazy nut job stepsisters slice off their heels and toes. Yeah. Really.)

But let’s get back to that HEA thing. Happily Ever After. Everyone wants one, right?

Not the Russian tales. They mostly end with some variation of  “And they lived as happily as they could.” Which is not the same at all. But to me, much juicier and satisfying to work with. Because it means that I can make my characters sort of happy, maybe even very happy. But they’re going to have to suffer first. And I really like that.

Honestly, I’m not a fan of stories – movies, books, TV – where the main character gets her/his HEA without really earning it. Or even a ‘clean getaway’ from whatever bad stuff they perpetrated during the course of the story. Like the film version of Jurassic Park, for example. I love that movie. Those dinos still scare the pee out of me. But the sweet grandfatherly John Hammond in the movie who created the park and cloned that dino DNA? In the book he was a greedy CEO bastard who gets eaten by those very same dinos in the end. Because. He. Deserves. It.

In Spielberg’s movie? Not so much. He lives on for the sequel. And cause he’s a grandpa. But he’s done this really bad thing. And he should. Suffer. More. At least in my humble opinion.

All this informed my writing of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series and my plotting of the series arc once I knew for sure that this would indeed get to stretch over three books. (And actually, even before I knew. Some things you have to know even if you’re not going to get to use them. Which fortunately I did.)

Without giving away what happens in ANASTASIA FOREVER (which you are totally going to love, I know!), let me say that it was important to me that Anne and Ethan got their HEA, but I wanted them to earn it. Anne’s best friend, Tess, too. But there are many things in the novels for which there are no easy fixes. (Slight spoiler alert: If you have not read any of the books, I’m to give away a bit here, but nothing too major) Anne’s brother is still going to be dead. Her grandmother, even if Anne manages to break her mermaid curse, is still going to have suffered all that she suffered. Ethan is still going to have lost people he loved and made some dunderheaded mistakes for which he is paying and will continue to pay. Etc. etc.

All of which is why I decided that it was time in book 3 to go backward a bit and have Anne, Tess and Ethan do a little time travel. More than a little, actually. Because through the past we learn everything that’s at stake in the present. And when the HEA finally gets there – well, I think both the readers and the characters have the deepest appreciation possibly of what they’ve gained and what they’ve lost.

Maybe it’s those cold winters. Maybe it’s something else. But those Russians know their storytelling. I’m proud to follow their pattern in ANASTASIA FOREVER!

 Thank you, Joy, once again, for your words of wisdom. How about you guys? Do you agree that HEA is so last season? Or are you a traditionalist? I'm a bit of both. Suffering, with an EARNED Happily Ever After at the very end. And for the love of Pete, all you listening authors out there - no cliffhangers at the end of a series! I HATE that. Hate.

 If you haven't already read ANASTASIA FOREVER, I REALLY recommend you go check it out! You don't even HAVE to read the 2 previous books - it's a fantastic stand-alone read too! Although that said, you will enjoy it more having read Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted. But each to his own.

I'm rereading it for the third time and it's STILL AWESOME! The jokes are still hilarious! I'm spotting stuff like foreshadowing that I didn't get the past 2 times. I could go on and on. But it's far better to learn through living than listening. So if you have an ipod/iphone, download the sample from ibooks COMPLETELY FREE!! I'm sure you can get it on kindle too, but I don't have one of those. Yet.

You will be dying to read the book after that! I promise! There are some sad weepy bits in there, I won't lie to you. But even the bits where I had to put the book down to avoid getting tears on it (I'm REALLY obsessive about keeping my books gorgeous. Like Monica-obsessive. Ask anyone. And this was my SIGNED ARC!!! My precious...) were nothing short of SPELLBINDING! (get it? Magical witch powers?)

So, goodbye, my wonderful minions. And Holly, hurry up and finish Strange Angels already!!!! >:( 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :)

Anastasia Forever REVIEW!!!

Hi everyone! Today is the BIG DAY! I'm posting my review of the amazing book, ANASTASIA FOREVER by Joy Preble! Yay!

So for those of you who don't know, ANASTASIA FOREVER is book 3 in the DREAMING ANASTASIA trilogy, written by the lovely Joy Preble and published by Sourcebooks. You can check them both out at these websites:

Joy's website: http://joypreble.com/

Joy's blog: http://joysnovelidea.blogspot.com/

Soucebooks's website: http://www.sourcebooks.com/

If you've been reading the other books, you can skip this paragraph. Basically, the DREAMING trilogy tells the story of 16-year-old Chicago resident Anne, mourning the death of her older Brother David to cancer 2 years ago. Lately Anne has been having some incredibly strange dreams, about a girl in a hut in the forest, and an old woman with huge hands, iron teeth and skulls in her pupils. About this time is when "Mr. Stealthy Hot Guy" -though he's more Stalker than Stealthy - shows up at Swan Lake, and later everywhere Anne goes. Why? She has no idea. Then one night, the girl Anne is Dreaming as is in turn dreaming of her family's assassination. It is here that Anne realizes just who she is dreaming as - Anastasia Romanov - who may not be as dead as the world believes. Anne's hand glows. She sees a painting move before her very eyes. The old woman from her dreams materializes on the streets of Chicago. And as if her life wasn't freaky enough, now Mr. Stealthy (better known as Ethan or Etanovich) keeps trying to tell her that she has a destiny. He says she is the one who can save Anastasia from the hands of the mighty witch Baba Yaga, from Russian folklore. She's more than just a fairy tale. Anne, of course, tells him to bug off and leave her alone. But she can't run from the truth forever...

Okey dokey then, let's get down to what you're all waiting for! REVIEW TIME!

WARNING: If you haven't already read DREAMING ANASTASIA and HAUNTED, this review is full of spoilers. Full. If you still want to read it, go ahead. But don't blame me when you already know the huge massive thing that happens at the end of HAUNTED.

Now that that's out of the way, we can start:

Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble Review

Anastasia Forever is the thrilling finale to an epic trilogy. I hadn’t been this excited or impatient for a book to come out in a long, long time, possibly ever! So getting an early copy made my month.

“Secrets within secrets. Truths within lies.”

At the start of the book, Anne is bound to the witch Baba Yaga. Viktor has somehow regained his immortality, for reasons Anne and Ethan have to figure out. This is the only way Lily, Anne’s rusalka grandmother, can be freed from her curse. Anne still feels guilty about what happened to Ben, Tess and Ethan; and to top it all off Anastasia herself may still not be truly dead. Is it really too much to ask that all the crazy magical Russian things leave Anne alone for one day?

But that’s not all. She’s actually time-travelling to moments in the past. Anne doesn’t know how or why, but she’s certain they must have something to do with Viktor, Anastasia and helping Lily. All the weird stuff in her life is somehow connected, even something as seemingly irrelevant as a ballet holds clues to the solution. With Ethan’s magic getting mysteriously stronger and darker, and her own power flourishing like never before; will they finally be able to write a happily ever after for their fairytale?

I adore this book. I adore the entire trilogy – but this one has to be the best! All the loose ends get tied up, there are loads of amazing twists, returning characters and, of course, loads of Anne and Ethan romance! I had to force myself to put it down; I really wanted to make it last but could have read it in a single sitting. So much suspense! Anastasia Forever was definitely worth the wait.

Preble’s writing is perfect for this genre and age group. Anne’s voice sounds authentically teenage and humour is used in just the right places. The imagery is vivid and the descriptions are just the right length. Not too long so that they get boring, but not too short, the reader still has a clear mental image of the setting.

I like pretty much all of the characters. I love Anne, but everyone always loves the heroine. I really like Tess too, but my favourite character has to be Ethan! I love how at the start of the series he is very mysterious, but you slowly learn more and more about him. Ethan’s past features heavily in Anastasia Forever. I like how even though he is so much older than he seems and has seen so much violence and suffering, he’s still a kind person. His intentions are good, even when he screws up. But he’s not stupid, he learns from his mistakes and from other peoples’.  And his heart is pure. He’s still capable of love and empathy, unlike some of the other members of the Brotherhood. Ethan has an endearing innocence.

Another character I really like is Baba Yaga. Like Ethan, she is mysterious. She has depth, many layers, and people tend to only see what’s on the top. She is a witch, and that’s that. The end. When in reality, she has a history and a personality just like the others, and they shape who she is and how she behaves. In the first two books, it is very hard to identify with Baba Yaga. However Anastasia Forever reveals a lot more about her past too, and she seems suddenly so much more human. Baba Yaga isn’t just “the witch” anymore. She may still be unpredictable, but she is a lot more understandable.

So in short, Anastasia Forever is an amazing book, by an amazing author. It is really the perfect end to Anne’s story. Often when you’re looking forward to a book, you build it up so much in your head that the real thing could never live up to your expectations. Anastasia Forever is not one of those books. It satisfied me 100%! It will make you gasp. It will make you want to scream. It will make you laugh and cry. Please, read this book!

I love this book so much I'm currently rereading it, even though I have literally 8 other new books I haven't touched yet. Love. This. Book. And you will too! So, what are you waiting for? Go buy it! Available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and Waterstones, among other places. Go, my minions, go!

Another guest post coming up in a few days, so don't go anywhere!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

What's love got to do with it?: The Anne/Ethan romance by Joy Preble

Hel-lo everyone! Today we have a very special guest with us here: It's the one and only JOY PREBLE! She is going to tell us all about Anne and Ethan's ever-changing and complicated relationship in her amazing fantasy/paranormal/romance/historical fiction DREAMING ANASTASIA trilogy! Yay!

So without further ado, lets welcome to the post, the lovely talented writer JOY PREBLE! *whoops and claps*

What’s Love Got to Do with It?: The Anne/Ethan Romance

Joy Preble

The guiding force of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series is the relationship between Anne and Ethan. Anne knows from the second she catches blue-eyed Ethan stalking her at the ballet that there is just something about him. And in fact, he proceeds to turn her life upside and sideways because it is Ethan who peels back Anne’s normal world and reveals a world of Russian fairy tales brought to life, of a hidden princess and an illegitimate royal son driven by vengeance. When they touch – and I always knew that their story would begin with a physical touch setting things in motion—everything changes.

Anne is no longer just the girl who dances ballet and goes to school and mourns the death of her brother to cancer. She is a girl with power to save a princess, power to right ancient wrongs and ultimately, the power to break a curse that is holding her birth grandmother captive. But power comes with a steep price. And when Anne accepts Baba Yaga’s bargain so she can save Ethan in book 2, she steps into the witch’s forest in a way she has up until then refused to do. Of course, I wanted her to do this for love, even if she has trouble admitting that’s what it is.

This is problem for Anne and Ethan: they do not come easily to loving each other. Or rather, Ethan comes easily to loving Anne, even if he feels that he does not deserve her or a second chance at life. Which is exactly what she gives him when she rides out of the witch’s forest with Anastasia, allowing Ethan to regain his mortality. While Viktor yearns to live forever, Ethan wants only to have what he lost for a cause that was never what he believed it to be: to live and die in the proper time. That he has found the love of his life makes him both deliriously happy as well as guilty as hell.

And Anne, well, she’s a smart girl. Even when she’s not, she has Tess watching her back, making sure she sees things as they are. Anne sees loving Ethan as an impossibility. He is too old even if he looks young. He has secrets and a long, long past. She is only sixteen. And yet I think she loves him from the moment he tells her his story. But she holds back; she is indecisive. In fact, these traits hurt her in all aspects of her life. She has trouble committing. Ethan, on the other hand, is an all-in kind of guy.

So what did I do to these two? I made them inhabit a reverse fairy tale. It is Anne who ends up saving Ethan over and over. It is Anne who is the hero. And ultimately, it is Ethan (no spoilers for book 3 quite yet) who needs redemption and forgiveness before he and Anne can be together. A happily ever after, but hard won. And not without suffering and sacrifice. This is after all, a Russian fairy tale. No one knows endurance like the Russians.

And so it goes: Ethan and Anne, circling and circling love, each running from the other, each doing the hero’s job. The question becomes, will they figure out that they belong together before it’s too late?

Of course they will!

But with these two, love isn’t simple. I think that makes them equal parts of smart and stupid. Not forbidden love. Not crazy love where the passion burns out everything else—and I think we all need some of that in our lives.

When Anne and Ethan finally figure out that they belong together, it will be a love that entwines them like two puzzle pieces, marveling at how perfectly and easily they fit. And how foolish they were not to know it.

Yay! Doesn't that just make you yearn to read the book? Anne and Ethan have to be the cutest couple EVER! I was actually lucky enough to interview Joy herself, you can check that out here, if you haven't already done so. Stay tuned for more guest posts later in August, and of course, read ANASTASIA FOREVER when it comes out on the 7th of August. I'm like a stuck record, aren't I? ;)

ANASTASIA FOREVER DELETED SCENES TOUR!

Hey everyone! I am SO excited to be a part of the ANASTASIA FOREVER deleted scenes tour, eep!  Today I bring you a deleted scene from...

Drum roll please...

Sound the trumpets...

ANASTASIA FOREVER!!!

*dramatic music*

So, without further ado, here is a bit of background info on the scene from the lovely Joy Preble:

“The Anastasia Forever deleted scene is my favorite. I had originally envisioned Anne turning into a full blown Baba Yaga much earlier. And so I wrote this scene where she and Ben and Tess and Ethan all go to that Swedish film festival, but in the middle of the story. And there's all this wonderful tension and just at the moment that Ben decides to confront Anne about Ethan and her feelings, Anne realizes that smelling Ben's cologne is making her hungry. Really hungry. And well, she almost eats him. And after that much wackiness ensued. But in the end, I didn't go this route. But it is fun to see what might have been had my editor seen it.”

And here's the scene:

We stop at the base of the Grand Staircase - all pretty marble and elegant looking. I’ve always loved those stairs – regal in a way that most things aren’t these days. Once when I was five, David chased me up and down the stairs until we were both red-faced and out of breath and Mom was pissed that we wouldn’t settle down and let her show us the paintings. The stairs were more fun.

“My stomach hurts,” Tess observes.

“It should,” Ben comments testily. “You just ate your body weight in Red Vines.” Then to all of us: “Coffee’s in the other building if that’s what you want.” Since we walked into the lobby, he’s been directing his comments sort of generally into the air.

“In a minute. Let’s run to the top. I need to stretch.” I don’t wait for group agreement, just lope up the stairs and assume they’ll follow me, which after a few beats, they do.

On the second floor landing, I stretch my arms into classic ballet third position – arms over my head, elbows rounded, palms inward but fingers not touching. My gladiator sandals aren’t the best footwear for this, and I’m wearing a pair of gray cargo pants and a short white tee – hardly ballet clothes -  but that’s okay. Until I’d started back subbing at Miss Amy’s, I’d forgotten in the mess that is my life, how much I love dance.

“Your form needs work,” Tess says. She rises up on her toes as much as she can in her black Chucks and skinny jeans and pirouettes around me. She’s a way better dancer than I am these days, even goofing around. Of the two of I us, I’d always been more focused and disciplined. Not any more.

“Coffee?” Ethan asks again. “Wasn’t that the plan?” I know he thinks this is a waste of time – and also dangerous since everything’s at risk for girls who make bargains with witches. Ben needs to man up and move on. But I can’t just push Ben under the metaphor bus like that, and I’m sure he knows this.

I ignore his cranky tone and try out my arabesque - also in need of some serious work.

“Let’s get that coffee.” It’s Ben’s turn to sound cranky. He beckons toward the stairs. “You know that first movie won an award at Sundance. It’s really--”

“Your after shave is really strong.” The comment pops out of nowhere and I feel my cheeks redden. What a stupid thing to say. But suddenly the smell of his cologne is all I can think of. My stomach rumbles, embarrassingly loud. Maybe I should have had some of that popcorn.

I jump on the coffee train. “You know what? A latte would be great right now.”

I’ve just spent almost four hours trying not to fall into a coma while watching Swedish people look unhappy and occasionally have sex in metro bus stations and in one instance, a barn. My fingers feel all tingly. My skin feels sticky and clammy. Am I having a panic attack?

Other museum-goers stream around us. The light overhead through the huge skylight dims noticeably. I look up. Thick gray clouds. The faint sound of thunder rumbles. My heart kicks into overdrive. Am I about to throw up? Maybe it’s the flu.

“You want to talk,” Ben says. “So let’s talk. You’re right. I can’t keep pretending all those things didn’t happen. I dream about them, you know that? Your boss, Mrs. Benson? Those things – those mermaid things – they surrounded her. I heard them breaking her into pieces. You know that, right?”

“Ben.” I’m feeling sicker now, but I try to focus. But Ben doesn’t want to be interrupted. He glances at Ethan  - something dangerous brewing in his eyes and the set of his jaw.

“Outside,” I gasp. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Anne?” Ethan’s voice rises above the buzzing in my head, but I ignore him, too.

I turn and stumble down the stairs. My ears are ringing. Or is it just the thunder getting louder? I shouldn’t be doing this. But I can’t seem to think of anything but putting distance between myself and Ben. In my head, I see us a few weeks ago – my hands burning his face. Me running then, too, and calling Ethan.

I’m in the lobby now, shoulder against the heavy front doors of the Art Institute. Out onto the cement landing and then down the stairs - running onto Michigan Avenue. It starts to rain – small drops that get larger and fatter, falling on my head, my face, my hands. Even in my panic – it is pure panic right now, mixed with something else I can’t identify – I wonder if it’s somehow me that’s making it rain.

“Anne!” All three of them are calling my name – Ben and Tess and Ethan. The sound of it echoes in the air around me.

On the sidewalk, standing between the two huge lion statues that flank the Art Institute steps – the ones David and I used to love to shimmy so we could straddle their backs while Dad snapped pictures - I force myself to stop. This is ridiculous. Why am I running? What is it that I’m afraid of? My heart skips then steadies, then skips again. That weird feeling skates the inside of my stomach.

I turn. Ben’s reached me first and he puts his hands on my shoulders. His hair is wet from the rain and a drizzle of water inches down the side of his face.

“Should I be afraid?” he asks, his face serious now, his brown eyes locked on mine.

It’s the question that sparks everything inside me like a lit match falling on dry wood.  Not  What’s wrong? or What do you need? But “Should I be afraid?”

“Ben,” I say slowly because I understand now what’s happening and I don’t know if I can stop it. “I think you need to run. I think you need to do it now.”

He stares at me like I’m crazy. “What are talking about?”

“You need to get away from me,” I say again, but I can see that he’s not going to. That even after everything he’s seen, he still doesn’t get it. “Oh God, Ben. Go. Ethan!” I look blindly around me and even though I’m sure Ethan is right there, my vision is red and hazy and I can barely make him out. “Oh no. Ethan. You  have to--”

I’m her then, not completely, but more Baba Yaga than me. Her power stretches inside me, a spiderweb of fury. I clench my fists; try to hold it back.

Ben doesn’t get it yet – how could he? He presses a hand to my cheek, palm against my skin.

“You’re burning up,” he says. And all I can think is how good he smells. How good he’ll taste.

Ben pulls his hand back. I lean toward him, my face close to his. Someone – Ethan maybe? Maybe him and Tess? – tries to pull me back, but I’m too strong. I hold my ground. Watch the confusion in Ben’s eyes.

No one should underestimate your power, says a voice inside me that sounds like Baba Yaga’s.

Anne, says another voice that I think is Ethan. Don’t. Don’t give in to it. Hold on.

“I can’t.”

“Can’t what, Anne? Anne, are you okay?” Ben sounds scared.

I try to stop. I really do. But I can’t. Or maybe I don’t want to. This scares me more than the sound of Ben’s voice.

Lightning, I think.

It shears through the sky.

Thunder, I think.

It crashes overhead.

Roar, I think.

And the two lion statues open their mouths and howl.

I press my lips to Ben’s. Will him not to pull back. His eyes widen as I sink my teeth into his lower lip – hard, then harder - until I draw blood. I lick it from his lip. Swallow. My stomach muscles ripple, seize, ripple again. My jaw loosens; the bones pop. My breath comes in ragged gasps. Pain. Red hot and everywhere.

“Anne!” I hear my name again. “Anne.”

My jaw loosens some more. I press my lips shut, a tight seam, desperate to stop it. My teeth dig into my lower lip so hard that blood starts to trickle. The taste of it mingles with the taste of Ben. The combination is suddenly the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I’m not just hungry anymore. I’m ravenous.

Understand crashes through me. No. God no. If I open my mouth, it will unhinge like hers. I know it. I know it.  It’s not Ben’s cologne. It’s just Ben. He smells so good because he smells like food. And if someone doesn’t do something right this second, I’m going to eat him whole.

DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! That's all I've got for you, but you can read the deleted scenes from book 1, DREAMING ANASTASIA, and book 2, HAUNTED, on Joy's blog, here:

http://joysnovelidea.blogspot.co.uk/

make sure you leave a comment to be in for a chance to win one of her three prizes.... toy story alien moment... ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooh!

AND COMING UP TOMORROW:

A guest post from Ms. Preble herself! WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?: THE ANNE/ETHAN ROMANCE!

I hope you're all as excited as I am! Stay tuned, my lovely lovely readers (especially my Russian ones, even though I have no idea who any of you are. I felt like since this book is all about your country/culture/history/folklore, I had to give you a shout-out! But feel free to comment so that I at least have a vague idea :D) because there are more guest posts coming up in the near future, as well as MY REVIEW for this wonderful book, which I'm posting on the 11th August! Yippee! Bye,

ChihuahuaCharms xxx a.k.a the British minion. Person that joke was for, you know who you are ;)

Anastasia Forever Cupcakes!!! 8D

Heya! Sorry guys. I haven't blogged for over a week. Been very busy, I do have a life y'know :) but anyway, I will do my best not to ramble for too long here. Here is what you've all been waiting for: ANASTASIA FOREVER CUPCAKES!!!

And another one

And three's the charm, as Tess says ;)

That's the cupcake project over :( It was fun, I'm going to miss doing that.

On a happier note, it's exactly a fortnight until the release date of ANASTASIA FOREVER by Joy Preble today! Yay! Party time!!!

Well, not quite. But a fortnight until party time!!! If I'm this excited, I can barely fathom how excited you must be, Ms. Preble! I mean, I didn't even write this book. No, I just made 40 cupcakes, wandered around like a human poster in that t-shirt, drove everyone I know crazy, emailed half my school, (no exaggeration. Literally half the school. I kid you not.) and wrote my review, which I'll post here in a bit. It does contain spoilers for Haunted, so read at your own risk.

Still, even though I'm not part of the immediate team that made ANASTASIA FOREVER a possibility, I'm super-excited for this amazing book to be released to the world! And I'd like to congratulate Joy herself for the release of her first trilogy. WELL DONE!!! *round of applause*

Now, on to the next! :D

Ok, that's all I have to say for today. I hope you guys are counting down the days too! And reading the books that have been published! Bye,

Chihuahua Charms xoxoxo

Haunted Cupcakes :)

Wow. For anyone who doesn't know that "Haunted" is the title of Dreaming Anastasia book 2, the title will seem incredibly weird. But unless this is your first time reading my blog, you probably did know that. And if you didn't, what rock have you been living under???

So yeah, it's been roughly a week since the DA cupcakes, so now it's time for the pics of the H cupcakes:

and one for good luck:

YAY! Don't they look yummy? Om nom nom, three have already been eaten! Now I have "aunt" cupcakes, not as much fun...

I made these with Ellie, a.k.a. Areocopter, author of three blogs which can be found here if you are curious:

http://gravesisbetterthanchristophe.blogspot.co.uk/
http://confessionsofanenglishlady.blogspot.co.uk/
http://causeyourthereformetoo.blogspot.co.uk/

Yes, that last one is dedicated to Friends. Go figure. The first is to Strange Angels, and the middle is just a general blog. I took LOADS of pics of her icing cupcakes which may appear on there at some point. Can't promise anything.

And of other news, my Street Team t-shirt came yesterday! Woo! It looks like this (not me in the pic btw):

http://joysnovelidea.blogspot.co.uk/

How I wish I could go to the launch party. Why do you exist, Atlantic Ocean?!?! The irony is of course that we will be in the USA that day, but still too far away from Houston. :( Grr!

AND RECKONING FINALLY ARRIVED!!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!

You don't know how much pain I was in. Well, maybe you do. I don't think it was as bad as waiting for Anastasia Forever, but it was pretty close. I'll use a metaphor to explain it...

Think of the waiting as a mosquito bite. It really, really itches. Wanting to scratch is like wanting to read. I read the Amazon book sample, which only made it worse as I scratched the metaphorical bite which made it itch even more. The waiting was worse! Makes sense?

Ok. I seem to have run out of interesting stuff to say. Next weekend is the third and final cupcake-a-thon, ANASTASIA FOREVER! See you then and, of course, don't forget to read the books!!!

:D xxx

Friday the 13th - ooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo!

Ok, I know this is a craft/book/baking blog, but I just had to do a Friday the 13th post! You may be superstitious. You may not be. I on the whole am not, but some unlucky things have happened to me today:

1) Reckoning didn't come. Again. Didn't really expect it to, seems to have gotten lost. But still. Unlucky. :(

2) I normally spend my sister's swimming lesson sitting at the side and playing paper games with a 6 year old and an 8 year old. (I really should get paid for this...) Today I was contemplating bringing my book, because I got so desperate waiting I'm starting again from Strange Angels. I wanted to read, but decided against bringing it, because knowing them they wouldn't have let me anyway. What do you know? They weren't there! Grrr! Had to sit there for half an hour with nothing to do :(

3) Trampolining club was cancelled and it seems I was the only one who didn't know this. So I showed up anyway. Damn it :(

4) raspberry muffins spilled over in the oven. That was fun to clean up :(

5) Friend wasn't in school :(

6) don't know if this one really counts but I'll include it anyway. Only got 1 email today. 1. I feel so unpopular!! :(

Yep. My day sucked. I wonder if you're reading this thinking "omg, that's nothing compared to my crap life!" I feel for you. Everyone's day was awful. But never fear, my loyal minions, for I shall make something good happen for you! Here's the raspberry muffin recipe:

Makes 6 muffins

60g wholemeal self-raising flour
60g plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
100g caster sugar
60g fresh raspberries
60ml sunflower oil
1 egg
120ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a muffin tin with cases.
Sift the flours, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the caster sugar and raspberries and mix carefully. Try not to crush the raspberries, it will make the mixture look greyish.
Beat the egg and milk together and add the vanilla.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg/milk mixture and the oil.  Mix together, again being careful not to crush the raspberries.
Spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
Cool in tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Best eaten within 1-2 days.

Any berries will work with this recipe, or dried fruit can also be used. Just keep the weight of the fruit the same :)

That's all for now guys! Haunted cupcakes are coming probably on Sunday. Also stay tuned for another upcoming blog tour! Yay! With the possibility of a give away...oooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooo...

!!!WATCH THIS SPACE GUYS!!!

Do you like parodies? I like parodies!

The title kind of gives you a clue as to what this post is about.

Its about armadillos!!!

Ha! Gotcha! No seriously, its about parodies. A parody I made up the other day pretty much on the spot. Its about Defiance, fourth book in the thrilling Strange Angels series. Yes I'm obsessed. So is Aerocopter. This should really be on her blog, considering the theme and title of her's. Maybe she will post it. I dunno. Back to the point.

The tune I chose is actually really random. Anyone watch Comedy Central? (best. channel. ever.) Well, their very own Steven Seller, find him on YouTube here, writes the catchiest tunes for the Friends campaign. They will be in your head ALL DAY LONG. And that is how this came to be the tune for my parody.

I'm not weird!!! Here's the lyrics: (WARNING - FULL OF SPOILERS! DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE ACTUAL BOOK!)

Hey buddy

Yeah?

Come take a glance

At what?

At book 4 of the Strange Angels series

Defiance?

Dru broke into Sergej's mansion

She rescued Graves!!!

Then she ran through the nosferat Sergej

With an old lamp

Chris is so camp

And from then on the entire house stank

From the

Rotting

Sucker

Bodies

Everyone that you thought Dru could trust is a damn traitor

There are lots of twists ahead

Even evil Anna's being nice

'Cause she's got to pay the price

Blood will suffice

Let's all applaud her

'Cause Dru says "screw the Order"

And runs away with Graves and Ash.


It's a masterpiece, I know! :) I really love this series (haven't forgotten about Dreaming Anastasia, Joy, don't worry! Taking part in the next 2 blog tours - you haven't gotten rid of me yet! ;D)  Me and Aerocopter, a.k.a. Ellie have been reading the series, and so far I've always been a book ahead of her. Until  now! I've just finished Defiance and am waiting for Reckoning to arrive. It's approaching on 5 days since I ordered it! MUST. KNOW. WHAT. HAPPENS! 

Don't mind me, just venting. I want to know what happens, but I also want to be patient and wait till the books comes...

*war goes on inside head*

Screw it! I'm gonna read the first chapter on Amazon! Patience is for boring people. Bye everyone!

ChiCharmsxxx

1 MONTH TO GO!

Hey everyone! Today is a very special day, because there's only...


 1 MONTH TO GO BEFORE THE RELEASE OF ANASTASIA FOREVER!!!!!


OMG, I am soooooo excited! Because even though I've already read the story and it rocks, I'm excited for the official day and that all you little people get to read it! Yay you! And to celebrate, as promised, are the cupcakes :)

I've only made book 1 so far, because I thought it would be more exciting to have them one by one... It increases the suspense factor ;)

Making the cupcakes went surprising well, except for the fact that I over-judged the icing...by a lot...

I had this much left. Oh dear. Anyone want some blue icing???



Haunted to follow shortly!

And another blog tour coming up! Yay! Got to go now, bye guys!

Happy American Independence Day!

HAPPY AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERYONE!

Yes, I know that it's not a holiday in the UK. I'm not stupid! But the USA has always been very close to my heart, as I used to live there (5 amazing years! Boy, I can't tell ya how much I miss Wendy's. Don't even get me started on IHOP) and I have loads of family and friends there that that we visit often, stretching from Los Angeles to Philadelphia :)

Plus, it's an excuse to celebrate! ;D PAR-TAY!!!!!

I would have made celebratory cupcakes. I really would have, but I'm currently planning my huge batch of Dreaming Anastasia promo cupcakes (a grand total of 40! My mouth is watering just thinking about them) because as you all probably know by now, I'm a very proud member of Joy's very own street team! And if you didn't, what rock have you been living under??? :)

The cupcake plan is pretty much foolproof - except that I'm the only member of my family that likes frosting. Oh. Nothing like 40 cupcakes to give you a cardiac arrest! So this is where the cake bribery I was talking about in an earlier post comes in. Read the book, get a cupcake. The cake is not a lie. Again, Portal reference? Anyone?

So this crazy cupcake fest is taking place on Friday, (one month till the release of much-awaited ANASTASIA FOREVER!) and I promise I will get pics up by Saturday at the latest! I'm so excited!

Also thought I'd quickly say, for my book worm readers, I'm halfway through Jealousy, book 3 of Lili St Crow's epic Strange Angels series, and loving every word! I really recommend this book guys! But only read it once you're done with Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and in a little over a month Anastasia Forever. Also wanted to say, still firmly Graves over Christophe. I love Graves! <3

And for my polymer clay readers, I promise pics are coming soon enough! I'm still working on the signature Dreaming Anastasia polymer clay version of the lacquer box. It's going better than I thought it would at least!

So, until Friday, my little ones! :) ChiCharms xoxoxo

(and Aerocopter, if you're reading this, you should be reading Betrayals! NOSFERATU!)

Chicks Dig Guys With Gloves

Ok, I stole the title from my friend's blog (sorry Ellie!) but they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And I do absolutely <3 this blog!!! It is dedicated to one of my favourite books, miraculously not Dreaming Anastasia - it's Strange Angels, by the wonderful Lili St. Crow!

I would tell you guys about the plot, but she's done such a great job already that I don't have that much that I can say. So I'll say this: Dru (don't ask her what that's short for, she may rearrange your face) travels the country with her Dad, a hunter for things that go bump in the night. She's an only child, so it's been just the two of them ever since her Mom died when she was 5. They make a great team, and go on all their missions together. Well, almost always, sometimes she would stay with her Grandmama when it was too risky. At 16 now, she feels she can handle anything the supernatural crew throw at her.

But recently her Dad's been refusing to take her along, and when he doesn't come home one night, she know's something's up. Someone, or something, has turned him into a zombie, and (poor Dru!!!) she's forced to shoot him.

Orphaned, in a new town and alone, Dru finds an unlikely friend in the Half-asian goth outcast called Graves. Graves doesn't pry at her home life, but he does buy her food and give her a place to stay. She (and the reader) can't help but like him, so when he's bitten by a werwulf, she feels she has to help( she can't leave him, he bought her a burger! And he's her only friend in this new town). It is kind of her fault, that wulf was probably sent by the same person who killed and reanimated her father. However, new wulves can be totally unpredictable, and unstoppable when they crave their first meal of raw meat...

I'll say no more, but if you think that sounds good, (and trust me, it gets way better!!!) then please please pretty please with a hunk of raw meat on top visit Ellie's blog:

http://gravesisbetterthanchristophe.blogspot.co.uk/  (you'll find out who Christophe is there)

and you can also visit here:

http://www.strange-angels.com/  an entire website dedicated to this awesome series (yes, 5 books in total) while you're there take the "how Dru are you" test - it's fun!

and lastly, Lili St. Crow's very own website:

http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/the-books/strange-angels/

Thanks for reading guys! I'll leave you with the same sentence I've finished all my posts with: DON'T FORGET TO READ DREAMING ANASTASIA! And Strange Angels too! xxx :D

da da da da da.. CHIHUAHUA!!!

Well, someone, not mentioning names (*cough* Sophie) dared me to do a post about chihuahuas. So I am. God only knows what this will do to my page views. :) So let's get this chihuahua-themed party started...

1) it ticks me off to NO END when people spell "chihuahuas" as "chiwawas!" Seriously people! It's not THAT hard! :( Bet you wouldn't like it if all the chihuahuas kept using the spelling "peepull" for "people" now would you? (That said, if you found a dog that could write at all then spelling may not be that important to you. Unless you're an English teacher.)

2) the chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world. Some (fine, many) people say they look like rats - I disagree. To me they look like fennec foxes. Anyone else see the resemblance?

3) chihuahuas originated from Mexico. At least, that's what the most common theory is. There has been some speculation, but I won't go into that here.

4) chihuahuas were bred as companion dogs, making them the perfect pets for many households. However, due to their size people think they are good for young children, when in fact it is the opposite. Chihuahuas are more delicate than, say, a Labrador, and young children are not gentle enough, they could hurt the dog.

5) there are many myths about the chihuahua. They are not yappy, unless you keep them cooped up all day. Take them for a walk and play with them often and they'll be fine. They are also not nippy. Most people think that the chihuahua is a very snappy demon-dog. This is not the case. If a dog is snappy, it is more often than not the trainer's fault. It's small dog syndrome. Because of their tiny size, the owner does not think it is necessary to, for example, not allow the chi to jump, when if he had a german shepherd he would discipline it, for it could knock someone over. This is sub-consciously saying to the chihuahua "go ahead. Do whatever you want. You're the pack leader." Most owners don't even realise they're doing this. Listen to Cesar Millan, people! That guy is amazing. A miracle worker, even.

I don't personally myself have a chihuahua. Oh, but I'm working on it. >:) I have done loads of research though. Anyone have a chihuahua? You do? I'm insanely jealous!!! Please post me a pic or tell me about him/her! I'd also love any chi owning tips or anecdotes anyone has to give! Thanks guys!

And don't forget to read Joy Prebles's Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and Anastasia Forever when it comes out August 7th! Pretty please? ;)

double chocolate cupcakes :)

Well, we've had a post about crafting, and we've had a post about reading, so therefore it's time for a post about... BAKING!

Which I haven't been doing that much of recently, but I do have a recipe (of my invention) for you guys:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

you will need:

a bowl
a 12-hole muffin pan
12 cupcake cases
a sieve
an electric mixer (or failing that, a wooden spoon.)
2 table spoons
a scale

ingredients:

100g self-raising flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter
2 eggs
3 tbsp cocoa powder (which will make them REALLY chocolatey. If you don't like stuff that rich, just use 2)
50g white chocolate chips (failing that milk or dark chocolate chips)
a few tbsp milk, if necessary

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream the butter and the sugar using the electric mixer or the wooden spoon, then add the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder. When all has been combined, stir in the chocolate chips. You're looking for a stiff dropping consistency. (for those who don't know, this means if you take a spoonful of mixture and hit the spoon against the side of your bowl, the mixture should drop off fairly easily.) If the mixture is too thick (which it probably will be, if you added all three tablespoons of cocoa powder) add milk, a table spoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Using 2 table spoons divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the cakes are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the biggest cakes. If it comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, they are ready.


What me and my best friend did when we made these was crumbled 2 cupcakes into a bowl with vanilla ice cream... soooooo gooooood!!!!! We ate that while watching "Grave Encounters" which is a really good horror movie. (Anyone seen it? Don't you just love Matt??? :D)


Ok guys, until next time and don't forget to read Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble! :)


p.s. next post will be about... I dunno. Comment if you have a preference! :P see ya!

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ONE AND ONLY... JOY PREBLE!!!

Hey guys! It's the moment we've all been waiting for!!! (well, me anyway. and Holly!) An interview with the one and only... JOY PREBLE, author of DREAMING ANASTASIA, HAUNTED, ANASTASIA FOREVER and soon to be released THE SWEET DEAD LIFE:

1) Have you always had a love of writing?

Yes. I was writing stories and poems and even plays when I was six or seven years old. In 2nd grade I wrote a Thanksgiving play (not a holiday over in England, I know!) and begged my teacher to let me perform with my friends. It was a terrible play. All the Pilgrims had the names of my friends. So there were Pilgrims named Julie and Amy, which are not exactly 1600's names. But Mrs. Bernsohn let me do it. And I've been writing ever since.

2) What inspired you to write about the Romanovs?

I have been fascinated by the tragedy of the Romanov assassination and by Anastasia's story since about 7th grade. And every few years, there'd be some other historical or fictional account -- even that cartoon movie in the 90's-- that would pique my interest again. The day I created the character of Anne (her voice came to me first), she basically popped into my imagination with this same interest. And then I decided there needed to be a hot, mysterious guy. After that, the idea that he would tell her that she was somehow linked to this Russian mystery just flowed. And the rest is history. 

3) Are your characters based on real people, and if so, who?

Like most writers, my characters are based on characteristics of many, many people. But no one in the series is an exact match for someone specific. Cause, you know, that's a good way to get sued! Or lose your friends. No sense telling your bestie that she was the basis for the crazy mermaid or the evil villain.  That said, I did name Lily the rusalka after my Aunt Lily who has passed away but who had a lot of tragedy in her life. 

4) What originally interested you in Russian folklore?

My maternal grandmother was from Russia. So I was always interested at least a little bit in the stories she told. But mostly I think it came as a side effect of my Romanov fascination. And once I started reading extensively as I was writing the DREAMING ANASTASIA series, I kept finding all these great metaphors in the Russian fairy tales. No one who goes into Baba Yaga's forest returns the same as they entered. The forest is a vehicle for change, for transformation. And for the most part, the tales all end, "And they lived as happily as they could." I LOVE this. It's so un-Disney. And so much more the way of real life.   

5) Was Dreaming Anastasia always intended to be a trilogy?

In my head, yes. And in the original proposal. But Sourcebooks acquired the series one book at a time. Mostly because when DREAMING was acquired, Sourcebooks had not even started their YA imprint yet. It was still developing. So it's been a twisty road. But unlike the Russian fairy tales, it's had a wonderfully happy ending!

6) Which Dreaming Anastasia character is most like you and why?

I always say that there are pieces of me in many characters. The part of me that wanders on wrong paths some time and appreciates 2nd chances-- well that's Ethan, and Anne, too to some extent. She resists her destiny for a long time in this series. But I actually think I'm closes to Tess -- funny and loyal and using humor to deflect in scary situations. Mostly, readers love Tess. But when they don't, I always think, well, I bet you won't like me much, either!  Tess is probably closest to my heart. But I never envisioned her as a main character. Unfortunately, she's better as the side kick.

7) Which character is your favourite and why?

 

See above. :)  And thank you for spelling favorite with a u!  

8) If you could be any Dreaming Anastasia character, who would you pick and why?

See above. :)   Although I have a soft spot for Baba Yaga.... But the whole eating people thing-- well, that's kind of a turn off, wouldn't you say?

9) You have an upcoming book, The Sweet Dead Life, scheduled to be released May 2013, anything you can tell us about that?

Oh how I love this book! It's coming out from Soho Press in May 14th and I can hardly wait! Basically, 14 year old Jenna is having the worst 8th grade year yet. Her mom won't get out of bed. Her dad's been gone since she was 9. Her 16 year old brother Casey tries to hold the family together by working two jobs-- difficult since he's stoned all the time. Even worse, Jenna is sick. And when Casey races her to the hospital one day in their hunk of junk Prius, well, let's just say that when the car crashes, no one is the same after that. Especially Casey. Who returns as what Jenna refers to as an A-word (not that she knows this right away) to help Jenna solve the family mystery, including who the heck has been poisoning her! TSDL takes place in Texas and it's funny and bittersweet and the most fun I've ever had writing.

10) Anything else you'd like to say?

Read ANASTASIA FOREVER when it comes out on August 7th. Hannah can tell you how good it is! 

Yes I can! That book is, in a word, legendary! (that's a quote from book 1, btw!) It truly is the best book I've ever read, equal only to it's "older sisters". And that's coming from me, I read quite a lot. Read it. Do it. Here's the book trailer:

Everyone like!!! And comment! Please? *puppy dog face* You can also find the trailers for the two earlier books on YouTube. :)

And because it's just too painful to wait until August 7th to find out what happens to Anne, Ethan, Viktor and the rest of the gang, the first three chapters are here:

http://www.sourcebooks.com/anastasia-forever.html

Check it out! But be warned, you will be left wanting more! Until next time!

THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD EVER!!!

Today (as you may have guessed) I'm posting about my favourite book! Dreaming Anastasia, by the amazingly talented Joy Preble, is about Anastasia Romanov, a 16 year old girl called Anne, a century old super-hot teenager by the name of Ethan (I <3 him! :D) and a Russian witch called Baba Yaga.


Shall I elaborate? (yeah, thought so) Here's the book blurb:

Anastasia Romanov
The daughter of the last Tsar of Russia
is believed to be dead by the world, but she is alive,
and when she sleeps, she dreams...


Anne Michaelson
Doesn't know much about Russian history; she's
more worried about getting into a good college.
But then the dreams start...


In her dreams Anne is somewhere else. She is someone else. The dreams seem as real as her waking life, and they terrify her. Then a stranger offers to explain to explain them - a boy who by all appearances is her age. He claims he has been waiting for someone who can help save Anastasia. And through him, Anne sees: you don't need to be imprisoned to be trapped.



I don't want to give much away, so I'll just say a teensy bit. Strange things keep happening to Anne, at first it was just the dreams, always the same, always in a hut in the forest. Always about a girl with light brown hair, blue eyes and a straight nose. Anne can feel her sorrow and loneliness, so vivid that it stays with her all day. Also always about an old woman, with iron teeth, detachable hands and skulls twinkling in her pupils.

But now it's even more. Her hand glowing blue. The painting she saw that moved. The old woman from her dreams, materialising on the streets of Chicago that only she could see. And of course, the boy. The one she first saw at the ballet with her bff Tess. The one who mysteriously turned up at school. The one she's convinced is stalking her.

The one who's offering the answers, if she'll only go with him so he can explain...

That's all I'm gonna say, but if you like the sound of that, then you can read the sample for free here:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gFz3Nums9LcC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Also Haunted, book 2 of the Dreaming Anastasia trilogy  is out now, and here's the best part:

BOOK 3, ANASTASIA FOREVER, COMES OUT IN AUGUST!!! YAY!

I'm on the street team, so I'm basically helping Ms. Preble (along with the other street team members, a.k.a minions) to spread the word and publicize the book! Help us by telling you friends! Go on! I'll give you free cake! (anyone get the Portal reference there?) Joy was awesome enough to give me an advance reading copy of book 3 for my street team efforts, so I have read it and I assure you, IT IS WICKED!!! (anyone who's read Dreaming Anastasia already will get that Tess quote)

Here's a link to Joy Preble's blog:

http://joysnovelidea.blogspot.co.uk/

There you can see the book trailers for all three amazing novels, and hear all her random news! What more could a crazed fan want?

Until next time guys! Are YOU on the street team too? Have you read the book? Are you going to now? Leave a comment!

P.S. Next post will be an interview with Joy!!! Are you as excited as I am?!?! Stay tuned, my loyal minions. Watch this space...

Hey guys! :) I wanted to tell you about one of my favourite hobbies today - polymer clay!!! I love making charms and miniatures out of Fimo, Premo and Sculpey (mostly. I do use a few other brands, but rarely.) Mostly, I like making food charms and miniatures, as well as signature stuff from books/films (like Hunger Games Mockingjay), and chibis! Especially book character chibis (which combines two of my fave hobbies!)

I get a lot of inspiration from YouTube, there is a whole community of truly amazingly talented people there, all of whom are very willing to share ideas and answer questions, which is awesome! Unfortunately I can't list you all here (because if I did that list would spread from here to Tahiti) but here are my top 7, along with a link to their YouTube channel:
GentlemanBunny, http://www.youtube.com/user/gentlemanbunny?feature=results_main
FunkyPinkGal, http://www.youtube.com/user/funkypinkgal?feature=results_main
MaxterMooch, http://www.youtube.com/user/maxtermooch?feature=results_main
jellyfishcharms, http://www.youtube.com/user/jellyfishcharms?feature=results_main
PaperPastels, http://www.youtube.com/user/paperpastels?feature=results_main
xoxRufus, http://www.youtube.com/user/xoxrufus?feature=results_main
CuteTanpopo,  http://www.youtube.com/user/cutetanpopo?feature=results_main

Please check them out! I’ll post some pics of my creations in a future post, but for now that’s all! Stay tuned for my next post, all about my favourite book :D
  

Hi everyone! I'm Hannah, and this is my first post! (both exciting and scary) I thought I'd start with 10 random (and not-so-random) facts about me:

1) I am completely, utterly, totally OBSESSED with CHIHUAHUAS! (ask anyone)
2) My favourite hobbies are (as you may have guessed) reading, crafting (in particular polymer clay, origami and amigurumi) and baking!
3) My lucky number is 8
4) I'm bilingual (Spanish and English) and half Mexican
5) I have two guinea pigs and a fish
6) I live in the UK
7) I have a crazy laugh that sounds like a hyena
8) My favourite book is Dreaming Anastasia, by Joy Preble (more to come on that later...)
9) My favourite movie is 50 First Dates
10) I'm not very good at this so bear with me!!! :(

So there's me, and this is my blog about (you guessed it) reading, crafting and baking! :) I'll be posting about my favourite books (I like paranormal, fantasy and romance, so if you do too then check them out! I might even be able to wangle you guys a few guest posts from the authors!) stuff I've made (there might not be much at first, I'm too busy lately to do that much crafty stuff) and awesome recipes for cakes and cookies that I've found or invented.


 Leave me a comment! :D